Gallery Whispers

84

'Of course I know who Deacey is, Superintendent Mackie. When you asked for this meeting at my home rather than in my office at the Western, I guessed that you'd worked it out too.'

Nolan Weston smiled softly across the conservatory at the two detectives. The last of autumn had gone from the garden outside, save for a few wet, brown leaves which clung on to the skeletal branches of the trees.

'So why didn't you save us the trouble of finding out?' asked Pringle. He was about to add, 'After all, this is a fucking murder inquiry!' until, just in time he remembered his promise to Skinner.

The surgeon's expression changed in an instant to one of contrition.

How controlled he is, thought Mackie. How much tougher than Simmers.

'I can only say I'm sorry about that. I'm afraid that at the time I decided that the tragedy ofGaynor's death had touched enough of us, and that I would keep it away from Deacey's door.'

'Did it occur to you that Mr Simmers might be that "third arrow" your wife mentioned?' the younger detective asked.

'Not for a moment, or I doubt if I'd have brought it up. We go back a long way, Deacey, Gaynor and I. We were at university together, a typical triumvirate of friends. Gay and I got engaged when we graduated, and married shortly afterwards; Deacey went off to England to do his internship, then he did some post-grad study in an oncology centre in Canada.

'We didn't have any contact, apart from Christmas cards, until he was appointed a consultant at the Western General.'

'Were you surprised by the idea that your former wife and Mr Simmers might be having a relationship?'

'You still haven't shown me that they were, superintendent. If that was the case then yes, I'd be mildly surprised. Yes, they were great friends as students, but their relationship was always on that level.

Deacey and I weren't rivals for her hand, or anything like that.

'However I suppose they might have been having an affair; if they were it'd have been entirely their own business, since they were both single. But if you were to ask me, I'd say that it was more likely that Deacey would be someone she'd turn to in time of need.'

'To help her end her life?' Pringle asked, in a voice which was for him, surprisingly soft.

Professor Weston frowned and rubbed the top of his bald head, anxiously. 'No, no, no: that wasn't what I was implying at all. Deacey Simmers is a very special man; he's a great friend in time of crisis. He is also a very gifted physician. She may well have gone to him for a second opinion, before deciding on her course of action.'

'Wouldn't he have needed your case notes if she had done that?'

'If Gay had described the situation as I explained it to her, and considering that I was involved, he wouldn't have needed them. There was no alternative prognosis.'

'In your opinion,' asked Mackie, 'once Mrs Weston had decided on her course of action, as you put it, might Mr Simmers have been so good a friend that he decided to help her through with it?'

Nolan Weston looked him in the eye. 'Ever heard of the Hippocratic Oath, superintendent?'

'Yes, but that's not an answer.'

'It's the only one I could possibly give you. I can only examine my own conscience, no one else's. I've already told you what I believe I would have done if she had come to me.'

'When we saw Raymond at your house, he denied any knowledge of the name Deacey. Was he lying to us?'

'No. I doubt if they've ever met.' He frowned at Mackie. 'Look, go easy on my son, gentlemen, please. He told me about his interview with you, about the cannabis and the sedatives which he took from my personal supply. I hold myself responsible for that to an extent. While Avril's been pregnant I've been taking them to help me sleep. I mentioned that to Ray, and he did something very stupid as a result. I assure you that will not happen again.'

He smiled. 'I hope I don't have the same problems with my new son. Avril had a boy, three days ago.'

'Congratulations,' said Pringle.

'Thank you. Raymond told me about Andrina's uncle also,' Weston continued. 'I can understand why you made the connection between his suicide and Gay's death.'

'Not suicide. There might be a legal grey area in Mr Murray's case, but as far as we're concerned they're the same, and the same person was involved in both. Did your boy tell you anything else about the chat he and I had?'

'He told me about the other young lady, if that's what you mean. I didn't approve of his treating Andrina that way, but then, I'm not really in a position to throw stones, am I? He didn't tell me who the other girl was, only that she was a friend of Gina, my niece.'

'Professor.' Mackie's tone was sharper than before. 'Have you ever discussed the substance of our first conversation with Mr Simmers?'

Weston nodded. 'I told him about it.'

'And did you tell him about the hypo and the roll of tape being removed from the scene?'

'Yes. I believe I did.'

'Well do us all a favour,' said the superintendent, heavily, 'yourself in particular. Don't talk to him about this one. Okay?'